Cyrus looked towards the sound of the voice. "It's him!!" Cyrus suddenly realized. "It's that guy who was smiling at me earlier." Cyrus looked down and noticed that the young man -- Zach, was it? -- had his hand outstretched. "Oh!" Cyrus blurted. "Hi!"

Cyrus awkwardly shook Zach's hand. He'd been caught by surprise and wasn't quite sure what to think of this guy. After all, Cyrus had no idea really why Zach had been smiling at him. He wasn't sure why Zach was coming over to greet him, here, now. But Cyrus was pleased to finally have one of the 11 other trainers break the ice with him. After his attempt to talk with trainers in the Pokémon Center had met with failure, Cyrus had begun to be concerned about the kind of people he would be spending the next 12 hours on Midnight Island with. "Since the island is known to disappear at dawn" ... "We do not know what will happen once the sun rises" ... these were the ominous words of the Pokétech representative. With the sun setting, Cyrus realized that the countdown had begun. Soon it would be night, and before long, dawn. 12 hours, 12 trainers ... Cyrus could use every last bit of information he could gather about Midnight Island and the expedition.

OoC: We should probably have a full conversation elsewhere (Time Out, AIM [preferred], via PM) and then I can let you be the one to post it with your next reply. Assuming we make it before Loki's next update. Otherwise, we can continue this conversation on the boat.

OoC: For the moment being, I'll avoid posting in YellowGreen until the color is chosen/specified. Also, I haven't RPed Tetsu for real in forever and a day, so this may suck.

It was quite an honor for Tetsu to be here in the first place. He never really considered himself a great trainer, but he was quite excited that he was chosen for such an expedition. In general, Tetsu felt a great connection to nature and the world around him, and exploring new places was an exciting prospect to the young boy since he could discover what the world had to show him. In these past 3 years, he and his Pokemon have grown strong and had many adventures through this massive land of Fizzy Bubbles. Despite the fact that all his Pokemon had become powerful, Tetsu still had some misgivings about going on this expedition. While he had a good deal of bravery, he always had a tendency to worry, which could occasionally get the best of him. The very nature of this island was unpredictable and mysterious, and what may happen if he didnâ€™t get off before sunrise worried him the most.

Despite all of this, he had decided that he would show his valiant side and accept the invitation. However, it had been a pain rallying most powerful team members, especially the more adamant of his Pokemon, to assist him on this adventure. While the ever-faithful Snowy was quick to agree, the rest of his Pokemon didn't particularly want to come, had similar concerns as him or were too disconnected to respond. After a significant amount of coaxing and bribing, his squad had been chosen, and he headed off to the Canclave city a day later...

~~~

After a quick briefing session, Tetsu stepped out of the Center; his backpack full with supplies, Poketch around his wrist, and his upgraded Pokedex in his hand. Taking the time to examine his new and improved gadgets, he tinkered with both of them to discover their various features. However, he was quickly interrupted by a yellow-orange mouse, violently poking at his ribcage. Tetsu backed away in response to the stab of pain, glaring at Luxord the Raichu, who's face looked stoic, but the annoyance pulsed through it on occasion. Tetsu made the assumption the he restless and that this hard jab was his way of expressing it.

â€śAll right, all right, weâ€™ll get going.â€ť Tetsu told his Raichu, who simply scowled in return, pretending to be uninterested.

From behind a close bush, a small tan cone with three orange rhombuses on its back popped out, his blue eyes sparkling in the diminishing sunlight and white row of teeth shining from a black body with a goofy smile. The little Snorunt shuffled over to his trainer, who hoisted him up to cling onto Tetsuâ€™s shoulder in the strange way he devised so many years ago. Above, a bird that resembled a cloud glided lazily, and slowly circled downwards until he landed next to Tetsu. With a soft yet sassy coo, he began to pluck and rearrange his fluffy â€śfeathersâ€ť.

Meanwhile, a small tortoise meandered out from his place in front of a warm vent on the side of the Pokémon Center with the same static expression on his face. Opening his mouth wide, he let out a bellowing yawn before sitting next to Tetsu. Behind him, a young Kecleon with a blue stripe followed, curiously watching the coal in Smokestackâ€™s shell glow and smoke from a distance. As she neared Tetsu, she kept her eyes fixed on the glowing coals, and ran into Tetsuâ€™s legs, falling backwards. Turning around, Tetsu helped Ai up, rubbing her head while she let out a small â€śKecâ€¦â€ť of thanks.

Turning back to Luxord, he asked, â€śWhereâ€™s SaĂŻx?â€ť

Luxordâ€™s ears perked up slightly at this, although his facial expression stayed in itâ€™s cold position. With a wave of his arm, a Grumpig suddenly appeared, wearing the same blank look as Luxord. Wearing a similar looking cloak as the Raichu, he looked just as sinister, but there was a calm air about him that was different from the power and malice that emanated from the electric mouse.

Looking away from his Pokémon, Tetsu turned to gaze at the slowly setting sun. The orange circle sluggishly descended into the horizon, casting a sparkling orange tint over the surface of the distant water. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he absorbed the moment. This bit of peace was short lived, however, as Luxord wouldnâ€™t have any more delay, and nudged Tetsu again, who responded with a short curse and swipe at the Raichu, who simply sidestepped the slap and smirked.

â€śOk, guys and girl, this may be hard and no one knows what weâ€™re going to be facing. So be ready for anything. Rembember: stay close. If one of you gets lost, thereâ€™s no knowing what could happen.â€ť Tetsu lectured.

Each of them gave a form of affirmation; whether it was a squawk, nod, scowl, or nothing at all, it was understood that they all understood what he had said.

With a quick gesture and a cry of â€śLetâ€™s go!â€ť, the group was off for the dock to start their adventure on the mysterious Midnight Islandâ€¦

OOC: Do we not have to quote? Oh, and collecting 6 Max Potions, 6 Full Heals, 6 Revives and Poketech.

Rayne slipped off of Zodiacâ€™s back when he felt the soft thud of his Taurusâ€™ hooves hitting the sand. He splashed into the cool water, causing the ripples to catch the fading sunlight in such a way as to cause a rather neat shimmer to appear. The two of them had been surfing for several hours, deciding it would be faster and less tiring than hiking the rest of the way. Rayne had never been in this part of Fizzy Bubbles, in fact Zodiac and Rayne got lost so many times they decided to travel the rest of their journey parallel to the western beach of this continent. As the two of them finally climbed onto dry land, Rayne couldnâ€™t help but wonder why it had taken him this long to travel with Zodiac. The last time the two of them adventured together was probably two year ago. The bull let out a long yawn.

â€śThatâ€™s why!â€ť He told himself, Zodiac was quite possibly the most mellow and lazy pokemon in his squad. Despite this character flaw, Zodiac was vicious when it came to battling, and that was the reason Rayne opted to bring him along on this journey. It was safe to say Rayne was never going to surf on Tauros-back again, at least for such a long distance. While the leisurely pace was appreciated, there was no way of getting real comfortable on Zodiacâ€™s back. Cascade, his Sharpedo, made up for the uneasy ride with her amazing speed. â€śAndromeda needs to evolve.â€ť Rayne concluded. Flying on the back of a Salemence would be much preferred to the previously mentioned methods of rapid transit.

â€śHow bout some chocolate?â€ť Rayne asked. Zodiac responded with another yawn, before proceeding to regurgitating some chocolate using his Chocolate Magic attack. Rayne always felt odd eating it, seeing as its origins were rather unorthodox, but he couldnâ€™t help it, it was that good. Finally the two of them reached their destination; the Canalave pokecenter. The doors slid open and the pair walked in, getting greeted by a freezing blast of air conditioned air. Zodiac stomped his hoof in protest, releasing a small cascade of the ocean water. Rayne knew the staff would not appreciate having to clean up a massive pool of water so he quickly recalled Zodiac, telling him heâ€™ll let him out soon enough. He then walked over to the bathroom where he dried himself off and slipped into his characteristic garb; a pair of loose fitting dark blue jeans, a black tee shirt and a pair of skateboarding shoes. His shirt was slightly different though. The fire type emblem, the same one found on cards, was stitched into the fabric, not in red, but in a fluorescent thread. If Midnight Island was as dark as he imagined it to, Rayneâ€™s dark clothes would be hard to spot. This emblem would keep shining faintly, enough for the rest to see him he hoped. Rayne checked the mirror real quick, flicked a strand of his long black hair away from his eyes before finally heading out.

Rayne soon found himself amongst a group of other trainers. Some he recognized from previous travels, but others he had never seen. One stood out from the rest; a trainer wearing a green shirt, which Rayne figured was a beginner from the way he was staring off. Rayne smiled a little as he watched him, but moved on before the trainer noticed Rayneâ€™s amused expression. He would need to acquaint himself with this trainer. As he made his way to nurse Joy he noticed a friend of his from the SS Tidal Cruise fiasco; Lee. He nodded a quick greeting from across the room, and continued towards the nurse.

â€śQuite a mess you left at the entrance.â€ť She said with a smile.

â€śOh, yeah, sorry about that.â€ť He responded, ashamed, but dared not express it. He unclipped his six pokeballs and placed them in a tray for the nurse to take care of. He was just about to approach Lee when three people walked into the room. Rayne didnâ€™t really listen to what they were saying. He was thinking ahead to what would come, the thought thrilled him. He snapped back when he was given a bag and the Poketech. The next several minutes passed in a blur as he tinkered with the watch-like gadget. Rayne finally decided that it would look ridiculous on his wrist, and so placed it in his front pocket instead. A couple more minutes passed by, in which another friend of his, Joshua, made his dramatic entrance. After another neat gift (which he snapped into his pokedex) it was time to leave. He waited until the line at the counter died down, before finally heading over to pick up his pokemon.

â€śWe had a little trouble with this one, but everything seems to be in order now.â€ť Nurse Joy said pointing at what he knew was his Ninetalesâ€™ pokeball.

â€śWasnâ€™t the first time this happened.â€ť He replied, unsurprised. In fact, Droughtâ€™s pokeball had acted up at last pokecenter they went to. Black arcs of electricity surrounded it went into the charging machine. Luckily no damage has occurred yet; he would need to find out what was up with the pokeball. He clipped his balls back, checking to make sure they are in the correct order, thanked the nurse and turned towards the exit. A Typhlosion, and an Aipom caught Rayneâ€™s attention.

â€śGaryâ€™s here?â€ť He thought to himself. â€śI knew I should have brought Hestiaâ€ť. Gary and Rayne had faced off several times in contests before, and he provided quite the stiff competition. But to this day he had never seen him battle. Rayne knew he would get to see him in action soon enough, and he wanted to be nearby to watch.

â€śHey Gary. Wait up.â€ť Rayne called out. As he marched over to the trainer he unclipped the ball containing his Scyther, and a moment later the praying mantis was hovering beside him. Plague was another pokemon Rayne hadnâ€™t adventured with in a long time. â€śHey Gary. Howâ€™ve you been?â€ť Rayne finally caught up to Gary on the boat. Even if Gary decided to do his own thing he figured he would drop by and say hi. As the trainers boarded the boat he began feeling giddy and nervous. Surely this adventure was going to be a memorable one. One look at Plague reaffirmed his opinion. The stern look on the Scytherâ€™s face told him they were in for something big.

"Oh," Zach replied, looking up. Heâ€™d almost forgotten about her up there, despite the pain, and the question threw him off a little. "That's Persephone. She gets rather nervous around other people."

"Persephone, huh?" Cyrus said to Zach. He turned his eyes to face the timid Paras digging into Zach's head. "Hello, Persephone." Cyrus smiled at her.

Persephone scuttled back down Zach's head and onto his neck, retreating from view. "I'm sure she'll get used to you soon," Zach said with a pained smile.

"Oh ... I see what you meant about her getting nervous around others!" Cyrus put his hand behind the back of his head and laughed sheepishly. "Although I have to say, she's probably not nearly as nervous of me as Celes would be of her!"

Zach look confused. "Who's Celes? Is that the Hoppip you were chasing after?" As he said the latter, Zach smiled as if to tease Cyrus a bit.

"Oh no!" Cyrus said with a smile. His eyes widened a little in surprise -- had Zach seen the fiasco inside the Pokémon Center. "I guess he did," Cyrus thought to himself glumly. "Now he probably thinks I'm a complete goof." Cyrus broke away from these thoughts and continued to explain to Zach just who Celes was. "The Hoppip you saw is SugarPuff. Celes is the name of my Chikorita." He continued, "She's one brave little girl, but she's deathly afraid of bugs."

"Ah." Zach laughed a little. "I'm sure Persephone would be as scared as Celes would be if they met each other." Cyrus laughed as well. Zach let loose a sigh of relief as Persephone decided to return to the top of his head, giving the skin on his neck a needed break for recovery. He looked up to see her staring intently at Cyrus with her large, yellow eyes.

"So Zach," Cyrus changed the subject, "... what do you know about Professor Luna and Dr. Mensis?" His toned was still friendly, but ... it had turned a little more serious, somehow, Zach noticed.

Cyrus recalled how Dr. Mensis had chased after Professor Luna earlier. "Was I just imagining things," Cyrus thought to himself, "or had he been going for her--". Cyrus snapped out of it and chuckled. Smiling to Zach, he said, "I agree."

"Although who was that guy from Pokétech? He sure seemed to know an awful lot about Midnight Island. Do you think he's been there before?"

Zach was silent for a bit before responding. "...Now that you mention it, he did. I can't say for sure though..."

"Hmm ..." Cyrus said with a sigh. He paused for thought, his eyes wandering away from Zach's and down towards the ground.

Zach started in suddenly, jerking Cyrus's attention back up from the soil. "You know, though ... this island could be really dangerous. I think if anything goes wrong, we should look out for each other, you know?"

"No, I totally agree!" Cyrus shouted. He was enthusiastic about Zach's proposal ... perhaps a little too enthusiastic. Toning down the excitement a notch, Cyrus told Zach, "I was thinking the exact same thing. Everyone's been sort of standoff-ish, doing their own thing, but ... the Pokétech guy seemed to suggest there would even be the possibility of our Pokétchs getting lost or damaged on this trip." He paused for breath before continuing, "Remember the part about 'if your Pokétch quits working and you get lost, you're not going to be able to find the rest of the group' or something? Yeah ... I don't see why he'd say something like that. There's definitely something up with this disappearing-reappearing island.

"I agree." Zach brooded for a moment, eyeing the darkening sky. Thinking about the island suddenly made Zach very uncomfortable about the expedition. He shook his head, stared right at Cyrus, and said, "It's getting close to time, you think? I think we should definitely start heading to the boats."

Zach started down the path he'd seen several others take before he stopped. Turning back around to look at Cyrus, he said, "At least, I'm going to head over. What about you?"

"Hmm, yeah ..." Cyrus turned around without answering Zach's question and broke into a run. Or at least he would have broken into a run if he hadn't stopped himself halfway through lifting his foot for the first giant step. He pivoted around and faced Zach. "I almost forgot ... I have something I have to go do first. I'll be right there, I promise. Meet you at the boat in a sec. It was great meeting you, Zach. You too, Persephone!"

Zach waved at Cyrus. "See you there, Cyrus." Persephone clicked in response. A little surprised by her attempt at interaction with another human, Zach laughed a little and translated for Cyrus. "She likes you already."

Cyrus smiled, waved back, and ran back up the path, away from the boats and towards the side of the Pokémon Center.
-----
Zach turned around and made his way to the dock, where he could already see the various trainers and several Pokemon standing next to the large boats they'd be taking to the mysterious island. As he walked under the dying day, Zach started to wonder about what Cyrus had said about the Poketech representative and the island itself, beginning to become uneasy again. He grunted in frustration, shoved the thought out of his mind, and started to jog towards the rest of the trainers and board the ship.

As Cyrus ran back up the hill, he looked around to make sure there were no other trainers or Pokémon nearby. Most of the trainers seemed to either still be inside the Pokémon Center or else heading down to the docks to get onboard the boat Professor Luna had acquired for the expedition. Taking one last look, Cyrus rounded the corner of the Pokémon Center, pulled out Mankey's PokéBall and ...

"Mankey! Go!"

Cyrus aimed the ball up at an angle; the red arc of energy coalesced into an airborne Mankey, gliding with full momentum towards a nearby tree. Mankey grabbed hold of one of the boughs and swung himself onto it. Jumping up and down, he screeched an unintelligible noise. His back was to Cyrus, but he turned around as Cyrus called his name. "Mankey! Over here!"

The pig-nosed primate had a brief moment of happiness on his face, his eyes merry and crinkled; but it was short-lived. He did not turn ugly or brutish, but he had somber look on his face, "brooding" Cyrus might even have thought to call it. Mankey was clearly not yet fully accustomed to having Cyrus as his trainer.

Yes, Cyrus and Mankey had trained for months on end in the forests they adventured through. Cyrus had taught Mankey some rather unique moves which he had learned from books and other Pokémon trainers with tips on fighting-types. Anyone need only take a look at Mankey to know that he was a born fighter, but it had never occurred to Cyrus to teach a Mankey elemental moves like Fire Punch and Thunderpunch. It had been difficult to break through to Mankey -- there was more than a language barrier which separated Pokémon from trainer -- but Cyrus had finally been successful.

Mankey had also surprised Cyrus with some new moves of his own. Cyrus was a little alarmed by some of them -- Revenge in particular raised some questions in Cyrus's mind about just where Mankey learned it and, more importantly, why? -- but he had been impressed by not only the power but the technique with which Mankey executed the moves. Clearly the monkey had done more than simply brood ever since he had been captured. Although he did quite a lot of that, too.

A butterfly flittered through the air. Suddenly Cyrus had a horrible premonition of what Mankey would do, but before he could stop the Pokémon, it was too late. *Crunch* Mankey's arm was outstretched, his fist closed tight around where the butterfly had been. His eyes looked vicious, hateful.

"Mankey! No!" Cyrus yelled. "Let it go!"
Mankey turned his head to look at Cyrus; the rest of his body did not move an inch, his fist still firmly closed, his eyebrows arched, his eyes narrowed.
"Mankey ... let it go."
Mankey opened his hand, and bits and pieces of butterfly fell to the ground. Cyrus was heart-broken. His worst fear had been confirmed: Mankey was still too unpredictable, and not just that but unpredictably violent, around other creatures. Cyrus didn't understand why, but somehow, sometime, this Pokémon had become like this. Cyrus wondered if this Pokémon had not been seriously wronged. But none of that mattered right now. Right now, Cyrus needed to get on the boat. And Mankey had just run out of playtime.

"Okay, buddy, hop on down here."
Mankey hopped down from the tree and landed in Cyrus's arms. Cyrus hadn't been planning on catching Mankey, and so with an "Ooph!" he caught the creature. Mankey threw his powerful arms around Cyrus's neck -- arms that could snap it in half if they had wanted to -- and ... he closed his eyes and nestled the back of his head into the crease of Cyrus's armpit. Cyrus sighed. Mankey was pretty heavy. He could not carry the Pokémon down to the docks like this.

"Okay, buddy. We can stay like this a little longer. Only a little longer, though."

Mankey's eyes remained gently shut as Cyrus shifted his weight, plopped down onto the grass, and laid his back against the wall of the Pokémon Center. With his free left arm, he snuck a peek at the Pokétch. It was almost time. He found the stopwatch application and set it. "Five more minutes," he said. "Five more minutes." And running his fingers through the fur in between Mankey's ears, Cyrus looked up at the darkening sky.

OoC: If you're going to load us into the boat, go ahead and load me in when you're ready, Loki. If I need to post it myself or you'll leave me behind, please give me fair warning as I don't intend to post again just yet. ^^;

Professor Luna runs all the way to the docks and cheers as she gets there. Her excitement is obvious in her somewhat child-like actions. As she reaches the boat, she shouts back at Dr. Mensis, "At your rate, we'll have to go tomorrow!"

Dr. Mensis wasn't particularly fit and after running half way, had to stop for air and walked the rest. Meanwhile, trainers followed Professor Luna's enthusiasm as they made their way to the ship. While many of the trainers were younger and probably more fit, some were busy making new friends of their companions or greeting old ones before getting to the ship.

Alas everyone reached the ship. One young man arrived a bit later than the rest. His green shirt made him stand out. Professor Luna smilingly says to him, "I don't like tardy men."

The ship was a three deck speed boat (Similar to this) with the Pokétech logo on its sides. As the trainers stepped inside, it seemed as though Pokétech spared no expenses. The ship had been fully equipped with SONAR, satellite GPS tracking systems, a multi-bandwidth radio, and a bunch of shiny buttons and switches. Dr. Mensis took to the helm and Professor Luna lead everyone else to the front of the ship. The engine starts up and the ship pulls away from the dock. Everyone gives a slight cheer as they headed out into the ocean.

Soon the sky would be completely enveloped by the Earth's own shadow. It was officially night time. The clocks read 7PM. Dr. Mensis looked at navigation systems as he steered the ship. The seas were beginning to get somewhat rougher the further out the ship went. Eventually the ships engine stopped. Professor Luna looked out into the black sea. The only lights were that of the stars and a bright white moon. She continued to stare out into the sea, looking for their mysterious island. But then she put on a puzzled look. "That's strange..."

Suddenly, right before everyone's eyes, a shadow of land slowly came into sight. Everyone's faces lite up as they saw their destination- Midnight Island. Dr. Mensis began moving the shift, but the boat wouldn't move. Professor Luna looked back and saw the him fighting with the controls. She shouts, "What's wrong?"

"The controls aren't responding? The engine won't start!" he shouted back, "Lemme check what's wrong." He steps down and lets out a "WHAT?!"

Upon hearing him shout, everyone races to him. There, they find the propeller and rudder encased in ice. This was obviously not a natural occurrence. "Maybe we can melt it," Prof. Luna suggests. But before anyone could even try, splashing in the water around the ship could be heard. Everyone looks around and finds six Starmie have encircled the ship!

Suddenly, three of the Starmie fire their Water Gun at the ship, pushing it back. Dr. Mensis shouts, "What's going on?!" The other three watched everyone, almost like they were ready to attack if anyone motioned to.

Prof. Luna looked at Midnight Island in the distance, then back at the Starmie. Her face had an expression of lost hope. She then reached onto your belt and threw a Pokéball! With a red flash, a Monferno appeared! She then shouts, "Everyone, keep the Starmie away while Monferno and I thaw the ice! Hurry or we'll never make it Midnight Island!"

With that a battle erupts! The trainers must defeat the six Starmie (please label as Starmie A through F) or the ship won't make it to the island. You have seven days to respond. If I see everyone has posted prior to the seven days, I might post early. Please don't forget to check the Discussion Thread.

Professor Luna runs all the way to the docks and cheers as she gets there. Her excitement is obvious in her somewhat child-like actions. As she reaches the boat, she shouts back at Dr. Mensis, "At your rate, we'll have to go tomorrow!"

Dr. Mensis wasn't particularly fit and after running half way, had to stop for air and walked the rest. Meanwhile, trainers followed Professor Luna's enthusiasm as they made their way to the ship. While many of the trainers were younger and probably more fit, some were busy making new friends of their companions or greeting old ones before getting to the ship.

Alas everyone reached the ship. One young man arrived a bit later than the rest. His green shirt made him stand out. Professor Luna smilingly says to him, "I don't like tardy men."

The ship was a three deck speed boat (Similar to this) with the Pokétech logo on its sides. As the trainers stepped inside, it seemed as though Pokétech spared no expenses. The ship had been fully equipped with SONAR, satellite GPS tracking systems, a multi-bandwidth radio, and a bunch of shiny buttons and switches. Dr. Mensis took to the helm and Professor Luna lead everyone else to the front of the ship. The engine starts up and the ship pulls away from the dock. Everyone gives a slight cheer as they headed out into the ocean.

Soon the sky would be completely enveloped by the Earth's own shadow. It was officially night time. The clocks read 7PM. Dr. Mensis looked at navigation systems as he steered the ship. The seas were beginning to get somewhat rougher the further out the ship went. Eventually the ships engine stopped. Professor Luna looked out into the black sea. The only lights were that of the stars and a bright white moon. She continued to stare out into the sea, looking for their mysterious island. But then she put on a puzzled look. "That's strange..."

Suddenly, right before everyone's eyes, a shadow of land slowly came into sight. Everyone's faces lite up as they saw their destination- Midnight Island. Dr. Mensis began moving the shift, but the boat wouldn't move. Professor Luna looked back and saw the him fighting with the controls. She shouts, "What's wrong?"

"The controls aren't responding? The engine won't start!" he shouted back, "Lemme check what's wrong." He steps down and lets out a "WHAT?!"

Upon hearing him shout, everyone races to him. There, they find the propeller and rudder encased in ice. This was obviously not a natural occurrence. "Maybe we can melt it," Prof. Luna suggests. But before anyone could even try, splashing in the water around the ship could be heard. Everyone looks around and finds six Starmie have encircled the ship!

Suddenly, three of the Starmie fire their Water Gun at the ship, pushing it back. Dr. Mensis shouts, "What's going on?!" The other three watched everyone, almost like they were ready to attack if anyone motioned to.

Prof. Luna looked at Midnight Island in the distance, then back at the Starmie. Her face had an expression of lost hope. She then reached onto your belt and threw a Pokéball! With a red flash, a Monferno appeared! She then shouts, "Everyone, keep the Starmie away while Monferno and I thaw the ice! Hurry or we'll never make it Midnight Island!"

With that a battle erupts! The trainers must defeat the six Starmie (please label as Starmie A through F) or the ship won't make it to the island. You have seven days to respond. If I see everyone has posted prior to the seven days, I might post early. Please don't forget to check the Discussion Thread.

Ricco watches the island get into range as his excitement gets the better of him. When he heard about the engine being frozen, he begins to get worried. He thought that someone was behind this, but he couldn't think about who was out this late in the sea. Suddenly, the boat was being attacked, leaving Ricco to rush to one of the sides of the ship to see a couple of starmie, circled around the ship. Ricco heard the order that Professor Luna gave them as Ricco takes his Pokeball out.

"I know I wanted to give the others a chance, but it seems that this time, you're needed." Ricco said. "Go, Kaio!"

Ricco throws the Pokeball out, revealing a Swampert that jumps into the water. Ricco had a good advantage, providing that they don't know any Grass attacks, and even then, he was still worried.

"Ready, Kaio?" Ricco asked. Swampert nods in response. "Use Muddy Water to slam Starmie E and F to knock them back, then use Bullet Seed to send the two of them back! Hurry!"

Ricco looked around to see the others preparing to help out, but he couldn't do this alone. He needed to find some sort of assistance.

I think it would do the world good if every political situation, from an international hostage to the breakout of a war, could be solved by a one-on-one Wii Boxing with the nation's leaders. ~DonutTrooper from Gamespot.

Professor Luna runs all the way to the docks and cheers as she gets there. Her excitement is obvious in her somewhat child-like actions. As she reaches the boat, she shouts back at Dr. Mensis, "At your rate, we'll have to go tomorrow!"

Dr. Mensis wasn't particularly fit and after running half way, had to stop for air and walked the rest. Meanwhile, trainers followed Professor Luna's enthusiasm as they made their way to the ship. While many of the trainers were younger and probably more fit, some were busy making new friends of their companions or greeting old ones before getting to the ship.

Alas everyone reached the ship. One young man arrived a bit later than the rest. His green shirt made him stand out. Professor Luna smilingly says to him, "I don't like tardy men."

The ship was a three deck speed boat (Similar to this) with the Pokétech logo on its sides. As the trainers stepped inside, it seemed as though Pokétech spared no expenses. The ship had been fully equipped with SONAR, satellite GPS tracking systems, a multi-bandwidth radio, and a bunch of shiny buttons and switches. Dr. Mensis took to the helm and Professor Luna lead everyone else to the front of the ship. The engine starts up and the ship pulls away from the dock. Everyone gives a slight cheer as they headed out into the ocean.

Soon the sky would be completely enveloped by the Earth's own shadow. It was officially night time. The clocks read 7PM. Dr. Mensis looked at navigation systems as he steered the ship. The seas were beginning to get somewhat rougher the further out the ship went. Eventually the ships engine stopped. Professor Luna looked out into the black sea. The only lights were that of the stars and a bright white moon. She continued to stare out into the sea, looking for their mysterious island. But then she put on a puzzled look. "That's strange..."

Suddenly, right before everyone's eyes, a shadow of land slowly came into sight. Everyone's faces lite up as they saw their destination- Midnight Island. Dr. Mensis began moving the shift, but the boat wouldn't move. Professor Luna looked back and saw the him fighting with the controls. She shouts, "What's wrong?"

"The controls aren't responding? The engine won't start!" he shouted back, "Lemme check what's wrong." He steps down and lets out a "WHAT?!"

Upon hearing him shout, everyone races to him. There, they find the propeller and rudder encased in ice. This was obviously not a natural occurrence. "Maybe we can melt it," Prof. Luna suggests. But before anyone could even try, splashing in the water around the ship could be heard. Everyone looks around and finds six Starmie have encircled the ship!

Suddenly, three of the Starmie fire their Water Gun at the ship, pushing it back. Dr. Mensis shouts, "What's going on?!" The other three watched everyone, almost like they were ready to attack if anyone motioned to.

Prof. Luna looked at Midnight Island in the distance, then back at the Starmie. Her face had an expression of lost hope. She then reached onto your belt and threw a Pokéball! With a red flash, a Monferno appeared! She then shouts, "Everyone, keep the Starmie away while Monferno and I thaw the ice! Hurry or we'll never make it Midnight Island!"

With that a battle erupts! The trainers must defeat the six Starmie (please label as Starmie A through F) or the ship won't make it to the island. You have seven days to respond. If I see everyone has posted prior to the seven days, I might post early. Please don't forget to check the Discussion Thread.

As the ship groaned and creaked under the pressure of the Starmieâ€™s Water Guns, Zachâ€™s balance was a little shaken as he nearly fell to the ground. Fortunately he only ended up kneeling, but found the stance very helpful as he ran to the shipâ€™s rear to see three more Starmie surrounding the ship. Suddenly, he heard Dr. Lunaâ€™s voice through the mayhem.

"Everyone, keep the Starmie away while Monferno and I thaw the ice! Hurry or we'll never make it Midnight Island!" she shouted, motioning to her Monferno to rush forward and try to get something off the propellers. The substance was shiny, and it took him a few moments to realize that ice was the culprit for stopping the ship. Is this some sort of omen?, Zach wondered. With a tinge of fear, he fumbled to his belt and tossed one of his Pokéballs out to the ocean. A roar later, his Gyarados Kaine was present in the water past the rail of the shipâ€™s rear. Kaine had already spied the Starmie in the distance, draconic eyes lasered in on them instantly. Time to prove myself, Zach thought.

â€śKaine, you take Starmie D!â€ť Zach yelled amidst the calls and ordering of the other trainers. The intense noises caused Persephone to instantly awake, freaking her out and her natural reaction was to instantly get a harsh grip on Zachâ€™s scalp. Zach let loose a cry of unexpected pain, Persephone recoiling underneath his jacket and taking hold on his backpack strap. Zach could feel her shaking form, and was about to deliver severe reprimanding before holding himself back. She didnâ€™t mean to do itâ€¦I should really hold my temper. Kaine looked suspiciously at his trainer. Staring directly into the serpentâ€™s eyes, Zach continued. â€śLoose a Zap Cannon on the Starmie, Kaine, but be sure to avoid injuring any other trainers and their Pokemon. I donâ€™t want to be the cause of the expeditionâ€™s downfall.â€ť Gyaradosâ€™s expression lightened a bit; he understood how much his trainer despised being the weakest link, in anything. â€śGive it a couple of Dragon Rages to chew on too.â€ť Kaine tossed his serpentine head up in approval and rushed off. Do well for me, Zach thought.

Zachâ€™s attention turned elsewhere. Remembering that the entire situation depended on getting the ice to thaw during the battle, Zach tossed another Pokéball out. Gemini, his Drowzee, appeared. He took a look at the situation and cowered behind his trainer. â€śLook, Gemini, Iâ€™m not going to ask you to do much hand-to-hand battling at all,â€ť Zach encouraged. The Drowzee loosened his hold and stared up at his trainer, obviously a little relieved. â€śInstead, I want you to protect Dr. Luna and her Monferno while theyâ€™re fixing the rudder and propellers, alright? You know what I mean. Light Screens. Thatâ€™s what I need from you. Do you understand?â€ť As if in a reply, Gemini ran off towards the scurrying doctor and her fire monkey. Thatâ€™s my guyâ€¦, Zach thought caringly.

A pinch on his abdomen reminded him of Persephone, who scuttled up to his arms and hugged his chest. Zach pulled his arms around him, comforting her. I wonder how Cyrus is faringâ€¦

Professor Luna runs all the way to the docks and cheers as she gets there. Her excitement is obvious in her somewhat child-like actions. As she reaches the boat, she shouts back at Dr. Mensis, "At your rate, we'll have to go tomorrow!"

Dr. Mensis wasn't particularly fit and after running half way, had to stop for air and walked the rest. Meanwhile, trainers followed Professor Luna's enthusiasm as they made their way to the ship. While many of the trainers were younger and probably more fit, some were busy making new friends of their companions or greeting old ones before getting to the ship.

Alas everyone reached the ship. One young man arrived a bit later than the rest. His green shirt made him stand out. Professor Luna smilingly says to him, "I don't like tardy men."

The ship was a three deck speed boat (Similar to this) with the Pokétech logo on its sides. As the trainers stepped inside, it seemed as though Pokétech spared no expenses. The ship had been fully equipped with SONAR, satellite GPS tracking systems, a multi-bandwidth radio, and a bunch of shiny buttons and switches. Dr. Mensis took to the helm and Professor Luna lead everyone else to the front of the ship. The engine starts up and the ship pulls away from the dock. Everyone gives a slight cheer as they headed out into the ocean.

Soon the sky would be completely enveloped by the Earth's own shadow. It was officially night time. The clocks read 7PM. Dr. Mensis looked at navigation systems as he steered the ship. The seas were beginning to get somewhat rougher the further out the ship went. Eventually the ships engine stopped. Professor Luna looked out into the black sea. The only lights were that of the stars and a bright white moon. She continued to stare out into the sea, looking for their mysterious island. But then she put on a puzzled look. "That's strange..."

Suddenly, right before everyone's eyes, a shadow of land slowly came into sight. Everyone's faces lite up as they saw their destination- Midnight Island. Dr. Mensis began moving the shift, but the boat wouldn't move. Professor Luna looked back and saw the him fighting with the controls. She shouts, "What's wrong?"

"The controls aren't responding? The engine won't start!" he shouted back, "Lemme check what's wrong." He steps down and lets out a "WHAT?!"

Upon hearing him shout, everyone races to him. There, they find the propeller and rudder encased in ice. This was obviously not a natural occurrence. "Maybe we can melt it," Prof. Luna suggests. But before anyone could even try, splashing in the water around the ship could be heard. Everyone looks around and finds six Starmie have encircled the ship!

Suddenly, three of the Starmie fire their Water Gun at the ship, pushing it back. Dr. Mensis shouts, "What's going on?!" The other three watched everyone, almost like they were ready to attack if anyone motioned to.

Prof. Luna looked at Midnight Island in the distance, then back at the Starmie. Her face had an expression of lost hope. She then reached onto your belt and threw a Pokéball! With a red flash, a Monferno appeared! She then shouts, "Everyone, keep the Starmie away while Monferno and I thaw the ice! Hurry or we'll never make it Midnight Island!"

With that a battle erupts! The trainers must defeat the six Starmie (please label as Starmie A through F) or the ship won't make it to the island. You have seven days to respond. If I see everyone has posted prior to the seven days, I might post early. Please don't forget to check the Discussion Thread.

Upon boarding, Tetsu had returned all his Pokemon excepting Snowy who kept perched on his shoulder and the ever-stubborn Luxord as the space on the small boat was small, and there were a lot of trainers to fit on board. Stepping on the boat, he decided to head towards the bow to watch the sea. While Tetsu had generally not been one for boats though he could tolerate them, he loved the ocean and watching it's vast rambling waves. Once the boat started off, everyone gave a cheer of excitement.

After a while, Tetsu could sense that some of the staff were worried about something. Before he could investigate, he was distracted by their destination rising into view. Conversely, this distraction was short lived, as reports quickly came that the motor was frozen! Doing a double take, he saw that Starmie suddenly surrounded the boat and had begun attacking with a spray of water. Eager to help, he beckoned his Raichu to his side.

"Luxord, I know you probably don't want to, but you need to help us here!" Tetsu told his stubborn electric mouse, who simply smirked.

As dramatically as possible, he reached for his hood, pulling it from his head with a menacing flare. Beneath the hood emerged a scruffy-looking Raichu who gave off a strange sense of dastardly class in his graceful yet powerful actions. Before the two could act, though, another trainer who had already gotten a bit of a head start yelled out, "Someone help me take care of these two Starmie for me!"

Tetsu looked to the source of the request to find Ricco, a trainer he had met a little while back, who already had his Swampert out fighting the star-shaped creatures.

"Come on, Luxord, let's help him out!" Tetsu said urgently as he and his Pokemon raced to assist Kaio and Ricco.

"All right, Luxord, start with a Discharge on Starmies E and F to get things going, then use a Shockwave to keep them on their toes! If they try to attack you physically, Slam them with your tail!" Tetsu ordered. Luxord replied with a confident scoff and began to attack.

Professor Luna runs all the way to the docks and cheers as she gets there. Her excitement is obvious in her somewhat child-like actions. As she reaches the boat, she shouts back at Dr. Mensis, "At your rate, we'll have to go tomorrow!"

Dr. Mensis wasn't particularly fit and after running half way, had to stop for air and walked the rest. Meanwhile, trainers followed Professor Luna's enthusiasm as they made their way to the ship. While many of the trainers were younger and probably more fit, some were busy making new friends of their companions or greeting old ones before getting to the ship.

Alas everyone reached the ship. One young man arrived a bit later than the rest. His green shirt made him stand out. Professor Luna smilingly says to him, "I don't like tardy men."

The ship was a three deck speed boat (Similar to this) with the Pokétech logo on its sides. As the trainers stepped inside, it seemed as though Pokétech spared no expenses. The ship had been fully equipped with SONAR, satellite GPS tracking systems, a multi-bandwidth radio, and a bunch of shiny buttons and switches. Dr. Mensis took to the helm and Professor Luna lead everyone else to the front of the ship. The engine starts up and the ship pulls away from the dock. Everyone gives a slight cheer as they headed out into the ocean.

Soon the sky would be completely enveloped by the Earth's own shadow. It was officially night time. The clocks read 7PM. Dr. Mensis looked at navigation systems as he steered the ship. The seas were beginning to get somewhat rougher the further out the ship went. Eventually the ships engine stopped. Professor Luna looked out into the black sea. The only lights were that of the stars and a bright white moon. She continued to stare out into the sea, looking for their mysterious island. But then she put on a puzzled look. "That's strange..."

Suddenly, right before everyone's eyes, a shadow of land slowly came into sight. Everyone's faces lite up as they saw their destination- Midnight Island. Dr. Mensis began moving the shift, but the boat wouldn't move. Professor Luna looked back and saw the him fighting with the controls. She shouts, "What's wrong?"

"The controls aren't responding? The engine won't start!" he shouted back, "Lemme check what's wrong." He steps down and lets out a "WHAT?!"

Upon hearing him shout, everyone races to him. There, they find the propeller and rudder encased in ice. This was obviously not a natural occurrence. "Maybe we can melt it," Prof. Luna suggests. But before anyone could even try, splashing in the water around the ship could be heard. Everyone looks around and finds six Starmie have encircled the ship!

Suddenly, three of the Starmie fire their Water Gun at the ship, pushing it back. Dr. Mensis shouts, "What's going on?!" The other three watched everyone, almost like they were ready to attack if anyone motioned to.

Prof. Luna looked at Midnight Island in the distance, then back at the Starmie. Her face had an expression of lost hope. She then reached onto your belt and threw a Pokéball! With a red flash, a Monferno appeared! She then shouts, "Everyone, keep the Starmie away while Monferno and I thaw the ice! Hurry or we'll never make it Midnight Island!"

With that a battle erupts! The trainers must defeat the six Starmie (please label as Starmie A through F) or the ship won't make it to the island. You have seven days to respond. If I see everyone has posted prior to the seven days, I might post early. Please don't forget to check the Discussion Thread.

Stark boarded the boat with Spearow still perched on the top of his head. It wasn't nearly as large as he had thought it would be, but considering what they were doing, it was perfect. He stepped up to the bow of the vessel and leaned out over the railing reaching an arm up for Spearow to step up onto. The hawk turned it's head from side to side before finally deciding to move onto his trainer's forearm. Stark smiled.

Within minutes the boat was off and their journey had finally begun. By now the sun had finally set. Stark instinctively looked at the timer on his new Pokétech watch to find that it was 7:00. The countdown had begun. With the cool night air whipping through his hair from the acceleration of the boat, Stark used his free hand to rub Spearow's neck and body in an attempt to keep the bird from getting a chill. The boat rocked and bounced as the water became rougher forcing Stark to bend his knees slightly to in order to keep his balance. Eventually, but not without a few seconds concern, the boat slowed and their destination appeared. Midnight Island.

Stark felt a chill of anticipation course through his body as the mysterious island revealed itself. They were almost there. His wandering thoughts were soon interrupted as the sound of voices shouting drew his attention. For some reason or another the boat was no longer moving. Seeing professor Luna rush toward the back of the ship Stark turned and made his way along the deck when suddenly the sound of splashing caused him stop in his tracks. Surveying the moonlit water over the side of the boat he searched for the source of the sound to no avail. -Was I just imagining it?- he thought when without warning he felt himself lose his balance and slam into the outer wall of the cabin. Spearow flapped his wings vigorously in an attempt to keep his balance on his trainer's arm. Regaining his bearing and balance, Stark once again looked out over the bow to find a number of Starmie attacking the ship while Luna yelled for them to protect the ship.

-Why are they doing this?- he asked himself -Are they trying to keep us away from the Island? And if they are... why? Is it for our sake? Or for theirs?-

Unfortunately his questions would have to be answered later. The other trainers sprang into action releasing their pokémon in order to protect the boat and themselves. Taking his cue from the others Stark reached down to his belt and retrieved a pokéball from his side with his free hand, pointing it at the deck. In a flash of light a blue, black and yellow lioness appeared with a roar.

"Luxray, come with me," he said as he made his way to the back corner of the boat where another trainer had just released his massive Gyarados and Drowzee. The other had trainer had issued his orders just as Stark reached the back corner where he issued his own, "Luxray, use your Thunderbolt to add some more power to Gyarados' Zap Cannon. Then follow that up with a Thunderwave to slow that Starmie (D) down and then hit it with another Thunderbolt. Spearow perch yourself up on that satellite dish and keep an eye out for any other trouble."

The bird flew up to the dish on the roof of the boat as Stark turned his head to look at the trainer with the Gyarados and Drowzee to say, "Hope you don't mind a little extra help. By the way... you can call me Stark."

Professor Luna runs all the way to the docks and cheers as she gets there. Her excitement is obvious in her somewhat child-like actions. As she reaches the boat, she shouts back at Dr. Mensis, "At your rate, we'll have to go tomorrow!"

Dr. Mensis wasn't particularly fit and after running half way, had to stop for air and walked the rest. Meanwhile, trainers followed Professor Luna's enthusiasm as they made their way to the ship. While many of the trainers were younger and probably more fit, some were busy making new friends of their companions or greeting old ones before getting to the ship.

Alas everyone reached the ship. One young man arrived a bit later than the rest. His green shirt made him stand out. Professor Luna smilingly says to him, "I don't like tardy men."

The ship was a three deck speed boat (Similar to this) with the Pokétech logo on its sides. As the trainers stepped inside, it seemed as though Pokétech spared no expenses. The ship had been fully equipped with SONAR, satellite GPS tracking systems, a multi-bandwidth radio, and a bunch of shiny buttons and switches. Dr. Mensis took to the helm and Professor Luna lead everyone else to the front of the ship. The engine starts up and the ship pulls away from the dock. Everyone gives a slight cheer as they headed out into the ocean.

Soon the sky would be completely enveloped by the Earth's own shadow. It was officially night time. The clocks read 7PM. Dr. Mensis looked at navigation systems as he steered the ship. The seas were beginning to get somewhat rougher the further out the ship went. Eventually the ships engine stopped. Professor Luna looked out into the black sea. The only lights were that of the stars and a bright white moon. She continued to stare out into the sea, looking for their mysterious island. But then she put on a puzzled look. "That's strange..."

Suddenly, right before everyone's eyes, a shadow of land slowly came into sight. Everyone's faces lite up as they saw their destination- Midnight Island. Dr. Mensis began moving the shift, but the boat wouldn't move. Professor Luna looked back and saw the him fighting with the controls. She shouts, "What's wrong?"

"The controls aren't responding? The engine won't start!" he shouted back, "Lemme check what's wrong." He steps down and lets out a "WHAT?!"

Upon hearing him shout, everyone races to him. There, they find the propeller and rudder encased in ice. This was obviously not a natural occurrence. "Maybe we can melt it," Prof. Luna suggests. But before anyone could even try, splashing in the water around the ship could be heard. Everyone looks around and finds six Starmie have encircled the ship!

Suddenly, three of the Starmie fire their Water Gun at the ship, pushing it back. Dr. Mensis shouts, "What's going on?!" The other three watched everyone, almost like they were ready to attack if anyone motioned to.

Prof. Luna looked at Midnight Island in the distance, then back at the Starmie. Her face had an expression of lost hope. She then reached onto your belt and threw a Pokéball! With a red flash, a Monferno appeared! She then shouts, "Everyone, keep the Starmie away while Monferno and I thaw the ice! Hurry or we'll never make it Midnight Island!"

With that a battle erupts! The trainers must defeat the six Starmie (please label as Starmie A through F) or the ship won't make it to the island. You have seven days to respond. If I see everyone has posted prior to the seven days, I might post early. Please don't forget to check the Discussion Thread.

Cyrus lurched forward as the boat rocked to a halt. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Cyrus had walked through many lands accompanied by his trusty Chikorita, Celes. He was a tried-and-true traveler by foot. But sea travel, that was a whole other affair. His anticipation for arriving at Midnight Island mixed with the bouncing of this relatively small cruiser on the ocean waves had made for a bad combination -- after all, this was no Titanic, and so every crest and trough was felt deep inside Cyrus's head as the boat lurched up and down, racing towards their destination. Now that the boat had come to an unexpected stop, Cyrus's sea sickness had only gotten worse.

"Celes!" Cyrus called out, summoning his Chikorita. Out from her PokéBall appeared the little grass-type Pokémon, her sweet-smelling aroma reaching Cyrus's nostrils. Chlorophyll ... the smell of land ... mm, yes ... land ... forests ... firm ground. Cyrus was about to order Celes to use her Sweet Scent so that he could smell the fragrance and -- hopefully -- ease his queasy stomach when all of a sudden ...

That was Dr. Mensis! Cyrus forgot about his current problems instantly; his body was still weak and he hurried over on wobbly knees with the others to where Dr. Mensis's voice had been coming from. Chikorita followed close behind. "CHIKA!" she cried out as Cyrus rounded the corner and was out of sight. "Chika ..."

At the stern of the boat, Cyrus and the others saw that the ship's rudder had been encased in a chunk of ice. "Who could have done this?" Cyrus wondered to himself. And then they all heard it: splashing. There in the ocean, circling the ship, were six Starmie. "So these are the ones who did it," Cyrus realized.

"Everyone, keep the Starmie away while Monferno and I thaw the ice! Hurry or we'll never make it Midnight Island!" Professor Luna had shouted these words seconds after Cyrus and the others witnessed three of the culprits using combined Water Gun attacks to push the boat back the way it came, away from Midnight Island.

"Someone help me take care of these two Starmie for me!" A young man had already summoned a Swampert before the others could even figure out what was going on. He was joined by a mysterious trainer out from under whose hood emerged one of the scruffiest Raichu Cyrus had ever seen. More and more trainers rushed to follow them; running past them was ... Zach!

As Cyrus ran forward, he felt something bump into the back of his leg.

"CHIKA!"

There was Celes, half-pouting and half-shouting at her trainer. "Celes!" Cyrus knelt down to her level as trainers and Pokémon pounded along the deck to try and fight the Starmie, "I need you to follow me. There's something very important we have to do."

Noticing that the right side of the boat was covered, Cyrus dashed over to the left side -- where the Starmies using Water Gun were to be found. "Perfect," Cyrus thought. "Grass-types are resistant against water. This is where we're needed." This time, Chikorita was in his arms, but he dropped her gently back down to the deck once they reached the middle of the boat. There, dead ahead of him, was Starmie A.

Suddenly a beautiful fuschia Sharpedo was in the water below the edge of the boat and her trainer was climbing up over the edge, ready to dive in after her.

"Hey!" Cyrus cried out. "What do you think you're doing!?"
"Trying to fight off these Starmie, of course!"
The trainer jumped into the water in just his shorts right beside the Sharpedo.
"No, I mean ... jumping off the boat like that!" Cyrus shouted. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Shar?! Shar?!" The Sharpedo also questioned vehemntly.
"Look, we don't have much time to jibber jabber so I'll make this short. First off I like surfing with my pokemon cuz it's awesome," the trainer looked at Cyrus. "And, second I feel I'll have a stronger bond if I am with you while you're battling," the trainer looked at his Sharpedo.
The Sharpedo just looked up at her trainer who was already standing atop her and holding onto her fin for support.
"Oh ... well, never mind! Do you wanna team up? The two of us working together are far more likely to succeed."
"Sure, why not? I'm sure you'll make this a whole lot easier for us," Thed said.
"Right," Cyrus smirked. "You'll make this easier for us" ... just what was that supposed to mean? "My name's Cyrus."
"I'm Thed." The two shook hands.
"Okay, Thed, how does this sound? I set you and -- Aya, is it? --
"It's A-W-A... But, it sounds like Avacado..."
"Right, I set you and Awa up with a Cotton Spore. That'll slow down Starmie and make your job easier. Then, after you're done with your first cycle of attacks, you give me a thumbs up sign; that'll be my cue to attack the Starmie again, this time with an Energy Ball and Mega Drain. Do you think that would work?"
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Thed answered. "After we're done attacking we'll be sure to get out of your way like you planned."

Cyrus turned back to look at Celes. "Listen, I want you to stand on deck -- no pun intended -- while I summon SugarPuff, okay?"
"Chika!?" Celes puffed up her cheeks.
"Look, that Sharpedo trainer's gonna need somebody in a supporting role. And right now, I think that someone's gotta be us. You and I make a great offensive combo, but we need strategy right now. That's why I need SugarPuff. Alright?"
"Chika..." Celes conceded, her mouth pursed, her foot pawing at the deck in front of her. Her eyes were pointed downward and her giant frond had a wilted, droopy appearance.
Cyrus felt a little bad, but he knew Celes just felt a little left out. "Don't worry," Cyrus thought to himself, "I'm sure you'll get your chance soon enough to show everyone what you and I are made of. But for now ..." and with a deep breath, "SUGARPUFF! I CHOOSE YOU!"

Cyrus pointed his PokéBall straight down at the deck and, as soon as his Hoppip had materialized, he grabbed a hold of her soft, pillowy body and hugged her tight in his arms. "Hoppip! Hoppip!" she laughed, nestling into his chest, mistaking the situation for Cyrus looking for somebody to snuggle with. "No, SugarPuff!" Cyrus shook his head and scorned softly. "Look!" he said, pointing over at Starmie A. "We're in the middle of a battle! And," he said, "it looks like the wind's not too bad right now, but I don't want to take any chances, so I'm going to be holding onto you, okay?" Cyrus knew this was unorthodox, but the last thing they needed right now was for Hoppip to be carried off by a sudden sea breeze.

"Now, with me holding onto you, I need you to help out him," Cyrus said, pointing at Thed, "by slowing down that Starmie," he said, pointing out Starmie A, "with your Cotton Spore. Then we're going to stand here on deck and let Thed and his Sharpedo Aya do their thing until they give us the all-clear sign. After that, I want you to take a deep breath and give it the best Energy Ball you can! You think you can do that?"
"Ho~oppip!" SugarPuff gleefully replied.
"Good!" Cyrus smiled down at her. "After you use Energy Ball, I want you to focus on that Starmie and try to sap its energy with Mega Drain. If everything goes according to plan ..." Cyrus trailed off. He hoped this would be enough to knock out the first Starmie, but he couldn't be sure. Even if all six hits connected, this could prove to be a tough battle.

"Oh! One last thing, Celes," Cyrus said, turning back to his Chikorita. "I want you to stand as far away from the edge of the boat as you can. These Starmie look like they know Ice Beam. We're taking a risk taking them on like this, but ... if we should happen to get frozen, I want you to go find help." Cyrus didn't like to think that something that horrible would happen, but he had to prepare for the worst.

Making his way to the edge of the boat, Cyrus picked up SugarPuff high above his head, aimed her at Starmie, and shouted, "NOW, SUGARPUFF! USE COTTON SPORE!"

"This just had to happen.." Lee thought to himself as watched the Starmies which had encircled their ship and began attacking it. A few hours into the trip and already there was trouble brewing..looks like he can never have a peaceful boat trip, Lee thought, remembering the S.S. Tidal incident.
He was awakened from his brooding thoughts but the other trainers springing into action. They were getting ready to defend the boat with whatever means necessary to ensure that this trip wouldn't come to an unfortunate and early end - after all, it was the reason they were all here, to proctect each other. They were splitting up, releasing their respective Pokemon, giving orders..they were all doing their part.
And Lee was gonna do his part too. He rushed to the top deck and noticed the three Starmies that were pushing back the boat with their Water Guns. These were the perfect target for him..he quickly took a Pokeball from his belt and threw it in the air, shouting "Dekar, time to shine!"
With a bright flash of light, Dekar, Lee's little Elekid was released and stood beside him, ready to battle. Turning to the Electric type, Lee said
"Alright little buddy, it's about time you get some combat experience - now's your time! See the middle one of these three Starmies over there? Let's call it Starmie B..it'll be your target for now. Since it's busy using Water Gun right now, you should get a clean first hit off - start by using Charge Beam on it. Hopefully it'll energize you even further, but even if not, follow up with a nice Thunderbolt on it! That should hopefully make it stop using Water Gun..anyway, it'll probably throw some attack your way afterwards, so finish by setting up a Light Screen to protect yourself. Got all that?"
"Kid!" the little Elekid made, and got ready to battle..

Professor Luna runs all the way to the docks and cheers as she gets there. Her excitement is obvious in her somewhat child-like actions. As she reaches the boat, she shouts back at Dr. Mensis, "At your rate, we'll have to go tomorrow!"

Dr. Mensis wasn't particularly fit and after running half way, had to stop for air and walked the rest. Meanwhile, trainers followed Professor Luna's enthusiasm as they made their way to the ship. While many of the trainers were younger and probably more fit, some were busy making new friends of their companions or greeting old ones before getting to the ship.

Alas everyone reached the ship. One young man arrived a bit later than the rest. His green shirt made him stand out. Professor Luna smilingly says to him, "I don't like tardy men."

The ship was a three deck speed boat (Similar to this) with the Pokétech logo on its sides. As the trainers stepped inside, it seemed as though Pokétech spared no expenses. The ship had been fully equipped with SONAR, satellite GPS tracking systems, a multi-bandwidth radio, and a bunch of shiny buttons and switches. Dr. Mensis took to the helm and Professor Luna lead everyone else to the front of the ship. The engine starts up and the ship pulls away from the dock. Everyone gives a slight cheer as they headed out into the ocean.

Soon the sky would be completely enveloped by the Earth's own shadow. It was officially night time. The clocks read 7PM. Dr. Mensis looked at navigation systems as he steered the ship. The seas were beginning to get somewhat rougher the further out the ship went. Eventually the ships engine stopped. Professor Luna looked out into the black sea. The only lights were that of the stars and a bright white moon. She continued to stare out into the sea, looking for their mysterious island. But then she put on a puzzled look. "That's strange..."

Suddenly, right before everyone's eyes, a shadow of land slowly came into sight. Everyone's faces lite up as they saw their destination- Midnight Island. Dr. Mensis began moving the shift, but the boat wouldn't move. Professor Luna looked back and saw the him fighting with the controls. She shouts, "What's wrong?"

"The controls aren't responding? The engine won't start!" he shouted back, "Lemme check what's wrong." He steps down and lets out a "WHAT?!"

Upon hearing him shout, everyone races to him. There, they find the propeller and rudder encased in ice. This was obviously not a natural occurrence. "Maybe we can melt it," Prof. Luna suggests. But before anyone could even try, splashing in the water around the ship could be heard. Everyone looks around and finds six Starmie have encircled the ship!

Suddenly, three of the Starmie fire their Water Gun at the ship, pushing it back. Dr. Mensis shouts, "What's going on?!" The other three watched everyone, almost like they were ready to attack if anyone motioned to.

Prof. Luna looked at Midnight Island in the distance, then back at the Starmie. Her face had an expression of lost hope. She then reached onto your belt and threw a Pokéball! With a red flash, a Monferno appeared! She then shouts, "Everyone, keep the Starmie away while Monferno and I thaw the ice! Hurry or we'll never make it Midnight Island!"

With that a battle erupts! The trainers must defeat the six Starmie (please label as Starmie A through F) or the ship won't make it to the island. You have seven days to respond. If I see everyone has posted prior to the seven days, I might post early. Please don't forget to check the Discussion Thread.

Finally the trainers were on their way to their destination. Rayne had made his way to one of the railings and engaged in a conversation with Gary. It had been a while since the two last seen each other, and even then they hadnâ€™t conversed much. The conversation continued for a while, and Rayne soon noticed that the sun had completely sunk below the horizon; it was now officially night time. A quick glance down at his shirt informed him that his fluorescent thread was emitting its own light, but Rayne had to wonder whether it would continue to do so on the island. No sooner had he finished the thought, their final destination appeared; Midnight Island.

â€śWeâ€™re here.â€ť Rayne said, pointing out the obvious. A chill ran down Rayneâ€™s spine; a combination of excitement and dread, as if he knew something odd is bound to happen while on the island. And then the boat stopped â€¦

"The controls aren't responding? The engine won't start!" Dr. Mensis yelled out. Rayneâ€™s sense of dread wasnâ€™t misplaced, although he wasnâ€™t expecting something like this to happen quite as early in the trip. Rayne was just about to go see what was wrong with the engine when a spray of cold water hit him, instinctively he turned around to the source, and spotted the silhouette of three star shaped pokemon; Starmies no doubt, he thought to himself. All of a sudden the entire boat sprang into action, flashes of light and commands filled the air. By the time Rayne realized that they were fighting, several trainers already had pokemon sending off attacks in every direction. The boat looked like a firecracker being set off. Rayne wasnâ€™t surprised at all to see Plague hover down from the roof of the boat, a grim look on his face.

"Time to fight I suppose.â€ť He told his Scyther, who nodded his agreement. If he had learned anything from his travels with Plague it was that if Rayne kept his cool, and Scyther utilized his speed for an advantage, there was little an opponent could do.

â€śHey Gary, Iâ€™m going to create a diversion. I trust you can take care of business.â€ť Rayne said cockily, dodging a Water Gun aimed somewhere above his head. He tracked the stream back to the origin; it was the Starmie closest to his current location. With a finger he pointed at the Starmie (C) he was going to distract, hoping Gary noticed. â€śAlright Plague. This is what weâ€™ll do. Agility, and then Double Team. We need to cover for Gary. Wait for a break in the action, to avoid friendly fire, and then use Giga Drain.â€ť

"Sciii.â€ť Plague obviously understood. Being the second oldest member of Rayneâ€™s team made the two of them a killer team. The speed at which the two of them fought, the exchange of command and attack, often astounded even Rayne.

"Donâ€™t fly too far out. I think some of them have Ice type attacks, which can be dangerous in the open waters. Once the clones are deployed, continue moving around. Donâ€™t take chances, if they hit you it could be over.â€ť Plague nodded once again, his serious nature clearly reflected in his eyes. â€śAll right Gary. You got this. Donâ€™t hurt my Scyther.â€ť He laughed a bit, but his attention quickly returned to his outgoing mantis. Plague was all business from the get go, his wings were already beating at sonic booms speeds. Rayne couldnâ€™t help but smile outwardly when he noticed his elusive Scytherâ€™s tell tale zigzagged-up-and-down flight pattern.

â€śJust like we trained.â€ť He thought to himself. He was confident in Plagueâ€™s ability to dodge and confuse the enemy.

Professor Luna runs all the way to the docks and cheers as she gets there. Her excitement is obvious in her somewhat child-like actions. As she reaches the boat, she shouts back at Dr. Mensis, "At your rate, we'll have to go tomorrow!"

Dr. Mensis wasn't particularly fit and after running half way, had to stop for air and walked the rest. Meanwhile, trainers followed Professor Luna's enthusiasm as they made their way to the ship. While many of the trainers were younger and probably more fit, some were busy making new friends of their companions or greeting old ones before getting to the ship.

Alas everyone reached the ship. One young man arrived a bit later than the rest. His green shirt made him stand out. Professor Luna smilingly says to him, "I don't like tardy men."

The ship was a three deck speed boat (Similar to this) with the Pokétech logo on its sides. As the trainers stepped inside, it seemed as though Pokétech spared no expenses. The ship had been fully equipped with SONAR, satellite GPS tracking systems, a multi-bandwidth radio, and a bunch of shiny buttons and switches. Dr. Mensis took to the helm and Professor Luna lead everyone else to the front of the ship. The engine starts up and the ship pulls away from the dock. Everyone gives a slight cheer as they headed out into the ocean.

Soon the sky would be completely enveloped by the Earth's own shadow. It was officially night time. The clocks read 7PM. Dr. Mensis looked at navigation systems as he steered the ship. The seas were beginning to get somewhat rougher the further out the ship went. Eventually the ships engine stopped. Professor Luna looked out into the black sea. The only lights were that of the stars and a bright white moon. She continued to stare out into the sea, looking for their mysterious island. But then she put on a puzzled look. "That's strange..."

Suddenly, right before everyone's eyes, a shadow of land slowly came into sight. Everyone's faces lite up as they saw their destination- Midnight Island. Dr. Mensis began moving the shift, but the boat wouldn't move. Professor Luna looked back and saw the him fighting with the controls. She shouts, "What's wrong?"

"The controls aren't responding? The engine won't start!" he shouted back, "Lemme check what's wrong." He steps down and lets out a "WHAT?!"

Upon hearing him shout, everyone races to him. There, they find the propeller and rudder encased in ice. This was obviously not a natural occurrence. "Maybe we can melt it," Prof. Luna suggests. But before anyone could even try, splashing in the water around the ship could be heard. Everyone looks around and finds six Starmie have encircled the ship!

Suddenly, three of the Starmie fire their Water Gun at the ship, pushing it back. Dr. Mensis shouts, "What's going on?!" The other three watched everyone, almost like they were ready to attack if anyone motioned to.

Prof. Luna looked at Midnight Island in the distance, then back at the Starmie. Her face had an expression of lost hope. She then reached onto your belt and threw a Pokéball! With a red flash, a Monferno appeared! She then shouts, "Everyone, keep the Starmie away while Monferno and I thaw the ice! Hurry or we'll never make it Midnight Island!"

With that a battle erupts! The trainers must defeat the six Starmie (please label as Starmie A through F) or the ship won't make it to the island. You have seven days to respond. If I see everyone has posted prior to the seven days, I might post early. Please don't forget to check the Discussion Thread.

"Hey Rayne! Long time no see, huh?" Gary called out. It was one of his friends that he had met before on several occasions, but was not expecting to find him on this boat to Midnight Island. The two began to talk about their travels and their pokemon, and before Gary knew it, the sun was long gone, and the boat was well on its way toward Midnight Island. However, the peace of catching up with an old friend did not last very long.

â€śAnd so there I was holding a banana in one hand and a spatula in the other, and all of a suddenâ€¦â€ť Gary trailed off and turned his head. There was a commotion going on across the deck, and he heard a man exclaim, â€śThe controls aren't responding? The engine won't start!â€ť Looking over at the engine, Gary saw what appeared to be ice. And then the boat rocked and people were pointing off at things in the water.

â€śStarmies, huh?â€ť Gary mused, looking at the star-shaped pokemon that had suddenly attacked. One of them tried to fire a Water Gun at Rayne, who sent out Plague, his Scyther that Gary was familiar with. â€śSo how about it then, letâ€™s tag team this pest!â€ť Gary grinned, eagerly plucking a pokeball off of his belt as he recalled Typhu and Scurvy. It wasnâ€™t their time to battle. Tossing the new ball, in a bright flash, a slender, yellow, dragon-like figure appeared baahâ€™ing like a sheep as she made her entrance. The Ampharosâ€™s gems on her forehead and tail lit up with excitement, also semi-illuminating their area on the deck.

â€śYou ready to have a little fun, Amph?â€ť Gary cooed at his pokemon. She baahâ€™ed again as she nodded, and Gary smirked. â€śItâ€™s really been a while since your last battle, hasnâ€™t it?â€ť Gary then listened closely to Rayne as he gave commands to Plague, forming a plan of his own, giving Rayne an acknowledging nod. â€śYou hear that, Amph? Theyâ€™re nice enough to create a diversion for us! Start this party off with an electrical Charge, followed by a Light Screen! Once Plague is done distracting and out of the way he can then hide behind the screen, so blast that Starmie (C) with a Thunderbolt! Youâ€™ll do great, gal, Iâ€™m counting on you!â€ť Amph baahâ€™ed one final time as she prepared for battle.

Everything was happening so fast and Thed was unsure as to what he could do. One moment the boat was speeding towards Midnight Island and the next thing he knew everyone went towards the back of the boat to find that the rudder and propeller were frozen solid. Suddenly Starmies appeared out of nowhere, while three were attacking the front of the boat three were towards the back seemingly waiting for someone to make a move. All of a sudden trainers began to run to the sides of the boat and call out pokemon and in the madness Thed was pushed up to the front of the boat. He was able to stay on his feet luckily and before him in the water were the trio of Starmie Water Gunning the boat. Other trainers had already called out their pokemon and started attacking the two Starmie to the right. No one seemed to be attacking the Starmie to the left; which Thed decided to name Starmie A for the hell of it.

Thed unclipped a black pokeball with an R insignia on top of it and yelled out "Awa!" as he threw it. The Rocket Ball soared out over the ocean and released a fuschia colored Sharpedo into the water. Even though the only light from the sky was the stars and the moon Awa's skin still gave off a magnificent glint which all shiny pokemon did. Awa opened her jaw and stretched her fins out since she hadn't been in water since Thed had withdrawn her from the PC. "Alright Awa time to make minced meat out of that Starmie to the left." With that Thed unbuttoned his blue aloha shirt and tossed it inside the ship and then climbed over the guard rail. Suddenly a voice yelled at him.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" A trainer in a green shirt and blue jeans said. Thed slightly remembered him being one of the later trainers to board the ship.
"Trying to fight off these Starmie, of course!" Thed replied.
He then dove into the water and resurfaced right beside Awa.
"No, I mean ... jumping off the boat like that!" The trainer said. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Shar?! Shar?!" Awa questioned vehemntly.
"Look, we don't have much time to jibber jabber so I'll make this short. First off I like surfing with my pokemon cuz it's awesome," Thed looked at the trainer. "And, second I feel I'll have a stronger bond if I am with you while you're battling," Thed then looked at Awa.
Awa could only stare at Thed and he hoped that his words connected with her.
The trainer then said, "Oh ... well, never mind! Do you wanna team up? The two of us working together are far more likely to succeed."
Thed replied, "Sure, why not? I'm sure you'll make this a whole lot easier for us,"
"Right, my name's Cyrus."
"I'm Thed." Thed leaned over towards the boat and shook Cyrus's hand.
"Okay, Thed, how does this sound? I set you and -- Aya, is it? --
"It's A-W-A..." Thed corrected, "But, it sounds like Avacado..."
"Right, I set you and Awa up with a Cotton Spore. That'll slow down Starmie and make your job easier. Then, after you're done with your first cycle of attacks, you give me a thumbs up sign; that'll be my cue to attack the Starmie again, this time with an Energy Ball and Mega Drain. Do you think that would work?"
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Thed answered. "After we're done attacking we'll be sure to get out of your way like you planned."
Awa then began to swim towards the Starmie anticipating the battle ahead.

Thed smiled as he stood atop his swimming Sharpedo. He never thought he would meet someone new so early in the adventure. It usually took some time for Thed to warm up to people and actually talk to them, but he figured that times like these hastened the process. Cyrus definitely seemed like a thinker and a quick one at that and Thed was glad he was partnered up with him.

"Ok, Awa you heard the plan that Cyrus thought up and we're gonna stick with it. Let's wait for Cyrus's pokemon to release Cotton Spore. While we're waiting Focus your Energy on your attacks and let's make them count. After that rush on in and let's Crunch down on Starmie A's core gem. Give it all you got with that strong jaw of yours and try to crack the gem. Let's finish it up with a Rock Smash attack again on the core gem whether it's cracked or not. That should send Starmie A a little ways from us and hopefully that'll give Cyrus enough room to hit Starmie A with his own attacks. If you feel we're still too close then back away from Starmie A or just simply swim us away."

Awa gave a "Shar" as she waited for Cyrus's pokemon, which looked to be a Hoppip from Thed's vantage point, to start the plan.

(I'm a day late. And I was going to be on time this time too! Also, picking up Poketch, Pokedex attatchment, 4 Revives, 4 Full Heals, and 4 Max Potions.)

Beka stood on the steps of the Canalave City Pokemon Center. The smell of the sea drifted by him. He looked around, but didn't notice anyone he knew. It was a shame, but he hadn't been adventuring for that long, and he never did have the capacity to match names with faces. He stepped back inside just in time for the two people up front to begin to talk. Professor Luna was nice, but there was something about Professor Mensis that was just off. Beka looked at him during the entire presentation, wondering what it was about him that he couldn't put his finger on. Then he heard about items.
Beka, ever the spoiled rich kid he was raised as, was eager to pick up his new toys. The Poketch fit snugly on his wrist, and the items went directly into his pack. He fiddled with the watch a little bit, making the light glint off the face and dance on the back of some trainer's head, and made it wiggle around the guy's green shirt.
Suddenly, a trainer on a Flygon flew in through the window, followed by two Ninjask. There was talk of pokedex mods, and then it was over. Beka picked up his chip. This little thing? The chips that they needed to run the magnet trains in Goldenrod were three times the size of this! Skeptically, he put it in, and was delighted to hear a little beeping sound coming from his Pokedex. Professor Luna told them all to pick up their Pokemon and head toward the boat.
He was sixth in line to pick up his pokemon. He watched as some trainer fell face-first trying to keep his Hoppip in the center. That trainer in the green shirt again...
"Sir? Your Pokemon are ready."
"Oh!" He wasn't paying attention again. Beka tapped his head, trying to wake himself up. "Thank you!"
He walked outside, and immediately released his newly-evolved Houndoom, Montag.
"Hey, buddy! You waking up?" Montag responded with a yawn, smoke curling out of throat. "You can't be sleeping today, alright? We're heading toward Midnight Island." He scratched the dog behind the horns, right in the spot he liked it. Montag smiled, or the canine equivelant of, and perked up a bit. "That's it, buddy! Let's go!" He raced toward the docks, and boarded the boat as quickly as he could.
The boat chugged along, and Montag hugged the cabin walls. Note to self: Fire types and boats don't mix. Beka sat down beside Montag, trying to keep him calm, when he saw the island appear. Everyone on the boat oohed and aahed at the land, except for Dr. Mensis, who he could hear shouting about the engine.
Suddenly, the boat rocked, and Montag whined louder then ever. Three starmie were firing Water Guns at the boat, trying to tip it over! Dr. Luna released a Monferno, and shouted "Everyone, keep the Starmie away while Monferno and I thaw the ice! Hurry or we'll never make it Midnight Island!"
He turned toward Montag. "Buddy, listen. I need you to go with Dr. Luna and her Monferno. Use a combination of Ember and Fire Spin to melt the ice. If anything tries to attack you while you are on the job, use Energy Ball to stop it in its tracks." The Houndoom gave an understanding yelp and bounded after the doctor. He pulled a second Pokeball off his belt, and released a Krabby onto the deck. It looked up at him expectantly, waving its claws about. "No, you are not getting fed right now!" cried Beka exasperatedly. "Listen, Richard, if those Starmie fire their Water Gun at the boat again, you need to use your Ice Beam to protect the boat." The crab didn't respond. "If you do, I'm sure I can find something yummy in my bag for you..." Richard hopped up onto the rail, gripping it with all six of his legs. Nothing was hitting that boat on his watch.
Now was the hard part. He pulled out another pokeball, releasing his newest Pokemon, Aero the Skarmory. The bird, quite a bit taller then Beka, stared him down. "Aero," he said calmly, "I need your help." Nothing. "I need you to fly me above the boat, so I can look down on both Richard and Montag." Still nothing. "Dammit Aero! This is as much for your saftey as it is for mine!" The bird bent its wings low, signaling for Beka to get on. He was shocked. It respected the force. Hmmm... He hopped on top of Aero, and slowly began his climb to the air above the boat. Watching two pokemon? This was going to be tough.

Catherine carefully leaned against the railing of the boat as she looked out at the blue sea before her. A cool breeze gently blew against her face causing a few lose stands of hair from her braid to dangle about. She watched as the waves pushed against the boat causing it to slightly rock as it went its way. The air was fresh and the only noise was from the light chatter of trainers and their Pokemon as well as the sounds the boat produced. It was the perfect weather to go on a trip.

A smile crept onto her face as she continued to stare out at the ocean. She loved this kind of atmosphere. Being no where in particular just staring out into nothingness and just listening to the quietness in the air. She decided to let her thoughts roam free and just enjoy being lost in her own world.

Soon Catherine came back to reality as she noticed the island slowly come into her view. It had been a long journey since night was appearing before them but soon they were going to be at their destination and the real fun would begin.

Her happy feeling soon left her as she heard that the controls were not working. She quickly joined the group of trainers going to see what was wrong. She gasped in surprise when she noticed that the propeller was covered with ice. Instinctively her hand reached for her pokeballs as she realized that something was probably not right.

She soon realized that her instincts were correct as six Starmie appeared around the ship. She was filled with confusion as she wondered why these creatures were attacking the ship. After a few moments of just staring she discarded her confusion realizing that she was going have to help the others battle them if they had any chance of survival.

She quickly took one of her six pokeballs from her belt and pressed the white button on it. There was a flash of red light before a green plant like creature appeared before her. Once released the Bayleef looked around at his surrounding before looking straight at his trainer waiting for his orders.

Catherine eyes quickly darted around as she looked for something that her and Summer could help out with. Immediately she noticed another trainer sending out an Elekid, seeing no one else on that Starmie she decided to go help them out. She ran up to them with Summer fallowing right behind her. She then overheard their battle plan and then started to come up with one of her own.

â€śAlright Summer start off by distracting Starmie B by launching some Leech Seeds at it then wait for Elekid to finish off its attack before sending your Razor Leaf its way. Also if it starts to get close to the boat then try knocking it back with some whacks from your Vine Whip so it does not get too close,â€ť Catherine told her Pokemon after some quick thinking.

Summer nodded after hearing the explanation and began to prepare for the battle that was about to happen. He placed himself right in front of his trainer while eyeing the Starmie that was going to be his enemy. He held his head high and got ready to launch his first attack.

The sun shone down on Joshua as he strode along the beach, taking in the beautiful sights, as well as getting a great tan while he was at it. The ocean looked at peace, gently weaving in and out through celestial puppeterring of the timely tides. He sat down on the sand, a smile on his face...

... Before a three sectioned fan-like tail slammed into his face, and he was hurled out of his dreams (and his deckchair) onto the cold hard deck of the ship. Rising to his feet, the trainer glared rather angrily at Hayley the Flygon, who was standing on her hind legs with her arms crossed. Before he could ask what the hell was going on, the sounds of trainers running about frantically reached his ears, along with the idea that they were under attack.

Rising to his feet, Joshua's brain began to interpret the actions around him, and he watched as the other trainers scattered to help save the ship. Turning to Hayley, Joshua immediately began to think of a battle plan. Unhooking two more Pokeballs from his belt, he unleashed their inhabitants, Kenzie the Houndoom and Beau the Scizor standing before him.

"Alright guys, everything seems to have gone to hell here. Um, Kenzie, scuttle over to that Monferno and help it defrost the ice!" The doom hound nodded, and Beau and Hayley awaited their orders.

"Beau, Hayley, you guys are gonna help those guys handling Starmies E and F. Hayley, Sludge Bomb, Dragonbreath, Thunder. Beau, Focus Energy, Silver Wind, Shock Wave. Keep switching targets, but don't get in the way of the others." All three Pogeys nodded, and took off. Joshua chose the moment, however, to unleash another Pogey, Arren the Crobat perching on his shoulder.

"Arren, you're my bouncer today. Secret Power and/or Confuse Ray anything that comes at me!" The Crobat nodded, and the two proceeded to await the carnage.

With the ships propeller frozen and a group of Starmie attacking, the ship began to move away from the coveted Midnight Island. Under the orders of Professor Luna, the trainers quickly mobilized in defense of themselves, the ship, and the expedition.

To the left of the ship, where two Starmie watch patiently, Ricco quickly releases his Swampert, Kaio into the ocean waters. Soon, Tetsu has his Raichu, Luxord and Joshua's Hayley the Flygon and Beau the Scizor joined the battle. Kaio started by diluting the water with dirt, causing it to turn a muddy brown. Meanwhile, Luxord fired forth a large, widespread Discharge at the two Starmie. At the same time, Hayley hocked forth a dark purple glob of toxic filth and spit it forth as a Sludge Bomb! The two attacks fly forward from their users, but the electrical energy touched the sludge, causing it to explode prematurely causing the two attacks negate one another! The two Pokémon exchange angry glares but continue.

Meanwhile, Beau has been Focusing it's Energy. A slight glow of an aura can be seen around it for a few moments and then it begins flapping its wings. Fully aware of the coming attacks, the two Starmie quickly erect a pair of Light Screens before themselves just as Kaio starts to push a torrent of Muddy Waters at them. At the same time, Beau let's loose one powerful blow of Silver Wind! The torrent of dirty water drowns away the silver pollen particles from the wind and crashes into the clear protective planes, leaving the Starmie relatively unharmed. The Pokémon look unhappy with the results of their attacks, but press forward.

Now Kaio begins to spit forth a barrage of Bullet Seeds. The small green projectiles fly forward at one of the Starmie, but none are able to break through the Light Screen it placed. Hayley then follows by exhaling a greenish-blue Dragonbreath! The attack passes through the barrier, but was greatly weakened by the time it struck. At the same time, Luxord and Beau charge up and launch a pair of Shockwaves. The two waves of electrical energy fly towards one of the Starmie and actually merge into a larger attack that strikes the Starmie for considerable damage! A small burst of water shoots out and Starmie is tossed back, fairly beaten up. Hayley then begins to gather power. Eletricity begins to crackle around it and it unleashes a Thunder! The lightning bolt flied down upon the Starmie and strikes its target, dealing heavy damage to the water type.

On the other side of the ship, Zachâ€™s Gyarados appears! Its long serpentine body towered over the small Starmie. It looked at the Gyarados up and down and quivered a bit. Electrical energy begins to charge up around Gyarados' fanged mouth. A small sphere of glowing yellow energy forms there as electricity surges around the beast's mouth. Stark's Luxray fires a Thunderbolt into the glowing yellow orb, causing Gyarados to violently fires itâ€™s Zap Cannon at the Starmie. It quickly darts away and the sphere of yellow destruction strikes the ocean. A flash of light emanates from the dark waters as electricity strikes everything within a 10 foot radius of it, including Gyarados! It howls in pain as its own attack backfired! The howl ends with a puff of smoke coming out of its lungs. It lurches over as electricity still sparks and surges through it, clear signs of paralysis. Meanwhile, Starmie has also seemingly been shocked and was pretty much in the same situation. Paralysis had set in and the Pokemon was unable to escape from Luxray's Thunderwave, further disabling it. Seeing the sea star unable to move, Luxray now fires a Thunderbolt which puts more damage to the injured Pokémon. It then tips over face first and floats atop the water.

Meanwhile, at the front of the ship, several trainers were working to stop the attack Starmie. Cyrus releases his Hoppip, Sugarpuff while Thed releases his Sharpedo, Awa. The two exchange a small conversation as Thed jumps into the ocean. Before they attack, they see a flash of light (read above paragraph) from behind, but don't stop to look. Hoppip starts spreading it's Cotton Spore into the air. The fluffy fibers float slowly towards the Starmie, which quickly spots them and blasts them and Sugarpuff with a Water Gun! The spores get heavy and fall into the water and Sugarpuff is shot back! But while it was distracted with it, Awa and Thed were able to dash towards it and Crunch down on it! Awa's jaws bite down deep, dealing considerable damage to the psychic starfish. The other two Starmie stops their attack to jump back from the shark Pokémon and watches it's vicious attack on their companion. One gestures to attack, but is stopped by a Leech Seed attack from elsewhere (read below). With that, Awa throws it's victim away with a twist of it's jaw. Starmie is tossed away, but Awa then continues with a Rock Smash, ramming it with it's snout into the Starmie's core. A slight crack appears and Starmie is clearly hurt. Thed, pulling along Sharpedo's back fin then flashes a thumbs-up to his companion, Cyrus. He quickly commands his Pokémon Sugarpuff to attack. By this time it's already shaken off the Water Gun attack before and gets ready to strike back! It starts my creating a goops of Grass energy and quickly throws the Energy Ball at the injured Starmie! It strikes dead onto its target, popping with a small burst of grass energy. The Hoppip then continues with a Mega Drain! Energy can be seen as it pulls out of Starmie's form and enter into Sugarpuff, giving it a slight boost in its own energy and health.

At the same time, Lee calls forth his Elekid and Catherine called forth Summer, her Meganium. As Elekid began gathering energy from around itself, Summer fired forth a Leech Seed. The seed strikes into the distracted Starmie (read above paragraph) and plants itself into one of it's limbs. Bursting forth from the seed grows small vines that quickly envelop the Pokémon. The Starmie quickly responds by doing a Rapidspin. As it spin at an extreme rate, the Leech Seed detaches from it, but it didn't notice the Charge Beam Elekid launched, giving it with a mild shock! Elekid then quickly follows up by throwing a Thunderbolt at it! The attack surges throughout Starmieâ€™s body, leaving it extremely weak. Summer takes this opportunity and launches a barrage of Razor Leaves at the Starmie, knocking it out.

Elsewhere, Rayne and Gary call forth their Scyther- Plague and Ampharos- Amphy. Plague starts off by boosting its Agility Its speed becomes blinding, allowing it to create a large number of Double Team illusions. A total of 8 Scythers appear before the Starmie. Confused by the large cluster of insects, it begins to fire itâ€™s Water Gun at the group. Two are stricken, but are soon revealed to be mere clones. While distracted, Amphy has been Charging itself up! A yellow aura surrounds the Pokémon as it increases its electrical power. It then quickly erects a Light Screen before firing a Thunderbolt at the distracted Starmie. The attack strikes dead on! Stricken and damaged, Plague takes this opportunity to attack with a Giga Drain! Small bundles of light are pulled out of Starmieâ€™s body and float towards the Scyther, dealing some damage and healing the insect.

During the battle, Professor Luna and her Monferno have been slowly melting away the ice encasing the propellers and aided by Bekaâ€™s Houndoom. After several minutes, the ice begins to lose its hold over the ship and most of it falls off. Professor Luna shouts, â€śItâ€™s free!â€ť

Upon hearing that, Dr. Mensis tries to push the throttle, but oddly thereâ€™s no effect! Soon everyone begins to feel a strange grip over their bodies. A pink aura appears and all the Starmie begin to rise from the ocean waters. Their bodies glow as their injuries Recover at an alarming rate. The ship and all of itâ€™s occupants have been halted by their Psychic attack!

Sweat drops can be seen on everyoneâ€™s forehead. Prof. Luna then shouts, â€śWhy Starmie?! Why are you stopping us?!â€ť There is no response. Suddenly, Spearow, who had been watching begins to squawk. Thereâ€™s something floating over the ocean from Midnight Island. Six dark purple balloons start to fly over. The Starmie drop the ship and the crew from their telekinetic grip. They begin to fly over to the now viewable Drifblim. Confused by the events, everyone thinks, â€śWhat is happening?â€ť

The Starmie suddenly collapse, falling into the ocean. The Drifblim continue to go towards the ship and soon everyone begins to feel weak and heavy. Like their bodies are unable to hold themselves up. Your eyelids get heavy. Your bodies lose their strength. You look back once again at the Drifblim and see Hypnotic waves come from their eyes. Itâ€™s too much. You close your eyes.

As soon as you feel your eyes close, you open them right away. Youâ€™re all exactly where you were before, only 5 minutes have passed since. The Drifblim and Starmie have vanished. Everyone is slightly confused by this odd turn of events. Dr. Mensis asks everyone to come back aboard the ship and says, â€śThis is getting dangerous-â€ť

Before he could finish, Prof. Luna gave him an angry stare. â€śThis isnâ€™t the time for that! Weâ€™ve already gotten past the first hurdle, we should keep pushing forward!â€ť Dr. Mensis hesitated to respond. Prof. Luna started to calm down, noticing the concern on her companionâ€™s face. â€śDangers show up on all trips into the unknown. But if we never face those dangers, weâ€™d still be cavemen.â€ť

Dr. Mensis nodded, "You're right." He went back to the controls and started the ship up again. Everyone looked forward at their destination under the black starlit sky- Midnight Island.

Feel free to RP some more. Note that all Pokemon from the fight will automatically be restored before the next encounters and such, so don't worry about using your items. The next update comes in two days.

Ricco looks up at the sky, wondering what just happened with the hypnotic waves, but he just sighs as Kaio continues to sail across the ocean. Ricco takes out Kaio's Pokeball and call him back as a red beam sucks him inside. He just sits against the rail and sighs at these unfortunate turn of events.

"Had I known it would be this tense, I wouldn't have gone." he said to himself.

He looks at Kaio's Pokeball, wondering if he and his partner will really be all right. He looks over at Tetsu and Joshua, who helped him and thanks them both.

"We did a good job out there, even though we didn't take out any of those Starmie."

He sighs as he lifts himself up to walk off towards the direction of the island, waiting for them to arrive.

"Then again...if it wasn't for them, I don't know what we would do. Those starmie held the boat as if nothing had happened. I just hope our battles won't be as nerve-wracking as this."

Ricco tugs his brown cloak as he waits for them to approach the island. He looks at everyone thinking about what to expect next. He knew this wasn't going to be this easy of a trip, but to face something like the Starmie before? He thought it was too much. His hand becomes a fist as he looks up at the island with a determined look.

"No, I came here because my guys needed redemption. I promised that they'll be stronger and I'll make sure that I give them that promise!"

Ricco just decides to hang out on the boat, gripping Kaio's Pokeball, hoping that other Water Pokemon don't decide to attack the boat. But what about the Drifblim above? What was their gist? He knew something was up, but he didn't want to worry about it too much. He just wanted to relax after that effort against those Pokemon. Ricco sighs once more; this wasn't going to be easy at all.

I think it would do the world good if every political situation, from an international hostage to the breakout of a war, could be solved by a one-on-one Wii Boxing with the nation's leaders. ~DonutTrooper from Gamespot.

With the battle still on many trainers' minds, many kept quiet with their own thoughts. Regardless, the ship kept going to Midnight Island.

It was now 8:30 PM, the ship was only a few moments away from getting on shore. The two doctors grew more and more anxious as they could now clearly see the island. No longer was it a shadow in the distance under a dark sky. It could clearly be seen- the fine yellow sand; the wall of tropical trees and flora; the tall rocky peak at the center. All of it put great hope and anticipation in their hearts and it clearly showed on their face.

"SO! AT LAST YOU'VE COME!!

A voice echoed all around. It was as loud as thunder and sent a cold shiver down everyone's spine. Everyone looked around themselves, trying to find the source of this ominous voice. Nothing but the island and the ocean could be seen. Professor Luna shouts, "Who's there?!"

"I AM THE DARKNESS YOU HIDE FROM YOURSELVES! I AM THE FEAR WHICH CAUSES YOU TO TREMBLE! I AM THE TERROR THAT PARALYZES YOU! I AM THE ETERNAL DARKNESS YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE!!"

All of a sudden, Midnight Island turns completely black! Its shape begins to warp. The beach narrows, the mountain rises, claws sprout out and soon turn to arms. The peak forms into a head and the mountain it's torso. As the island transforms, the ocean's waves toss the boat around left and right. Even those who aren't weak of stomach begin to feel uneasy. The island then stood as a giant black titan, so tall it blocked out the sky, so wide it eclipses the horizon.

"MY FAITHFUL SERVANT! YOU HAVE BROUGHT ME AN EXCELLENT MEAL!"

Everyone is confused and frightened by these words. Professor Luna then shouts, "Who is your servant? What meal?"

OH? THEN WHY DID YOU WORK SO HARD TO COME HERE? EVEN WITH SO MANY DIFFICULTIES, WHY DID YOU CONTINUE TO COME? BECAUSE YOU ARE MINE! AND NOW- YOU AND YOUR COMPANIONS SHALL FEED MY HUNGER!!

Everyone screams! Its black hand grabs the ship and pulls it up to the giant's wide open mouth! Everyone clings to the ship, trying desperately to not fall in!

Suddenly, a ray of light shines through the giant's hand! Cracks appear with blinding radiance seeping through! A voice, clear and beautiful like a chorus comes through, "They shall not be yours!"

The light begins to shine through brighter and brighter! Soon the black giant is completely covered by pure whiteness! Blinded by the sight, you close your eyes. When you open them, you see yourself in a world of infinite white light. There is no horizon. No sky. No ground. Yet you stand across this shadowless plane. You look around and see all your companions. Completely confused as to what is going on, you cannot speak- utter silence from everyone.

A glowing sphere suddenly begins to shine in the middle of where you all stand. The light fades over time and a being can be seen. It slowly takes shape into what is only known as the legendary Pokémon, Cresselia.

"You're all safe... for now."

Dr. Mensis replies, "What's going on? What happened back there? And why are you here, Cressilia?"

"I have just narrowly helped you escape from the Eternal Nightmare!"

Shocked and still confused, Dr. Mensis continues with his questions, "What does that mean?"

"A Pokémon of great evil has begun to spread its influence. It feeds off the fear in the dreams of all living creatures. Its name is Darkai! And it will not stop until the world has been consumed!"

Prof. Luna then shouts, "What did it mean when it said I was its servant?"

"Darkai.... Over the years, it has captured many in its Eternal Nightmare. With them, Darkai has been able to subconsciously influence dreams. First, only creatures on the island were influenced, but more and more fell victim, and now its influence spreads to your world. You were likely one under Darkai's control. That is why you are so compelled to go there."

Prof. Luna gasps!

"This is Darkai's trap! If Darkai had been allowed to devour your and your Pokémon, its power would have increased tremendously! Darkai would have had the strength to leave the island and finally take the world!"

"Darkai was trapped. Centuries ago, an ancient tribe of mystics trapped Darkai on the island. The island would only appear at night, when Darkai's strength is greatest. But the power of the moon also suppresses Darkai's strength. As such, only during the new moon can Darkai attempt to free itself. I was charged by the mystics to watch over the island and keep all who would approach away. If Darkai would attempt anything, my power would have to stop it."

Dr. Mensis continues, "Then are we okay?"

[i]"No. I have failed you. You see, the the many decades, Darkai's power has grown in its Nightmare world. The seals that once held it have weakened and are no longer active. And now, even I have been taken into the nightmare, just like all of you..."

Prof. Luna then says, "Aren't we all awake? How are we trapped in the nightmare?"

"You have been trapped in the nightmare for only a short time, but I am certain you are all in the nightmare. Darkai has likely sent agents to put you to sleep. Once you are asleep, you are taken into this world."

Everyone gasps! You feel fear take grasp of you once again. Suddenly you hear a crack! You look away behind yourself and see a fissure of darkness appear!

"Do not fear! Courage and bravery will see you through this ordeal! Darkai will feed off your fear and break my barrier otherwise! I have a way to have us all escape!"

Dr. Mensis then says, "Anything! What can we do to escape? How can we help you?"

"Very well."

With a flash of light, an object appears before you all.

"This is the Lunar Wing. In it holds my power. With it, you can escape the Eternal Nightmare completely. Then, in the real world, you can reactivate the seals which locked away Darkai's power, which will free us all!"

Hope and joy fills everyone's faces, but Cressilia still has a look of concern.

"Unfortunately, with my remaining power, I can only create enough so half of you can leave."

Everyone begins to look at one another. A combination of anxiety and fear grips everyone. More cracks can be heard behind you.

"But this is a necessity! The remaining half must remain in the Eternal Nightmare! With me, Darkai will not have full control over you! I will still have enough power to weaken his control over your dreams, allowing you all to fight! And while Darkai is distracted here, those awake will have an easier time. Now I ask you all to make a difficult decision! Who among you will volunteer to stay in the nightmare? And who among you will volunteer to go back into the real world? Both paths have their share of trouble! Darkai's agents and those under its influence will go to stop you in the real world. And in the nightmare, you must face many unspeakable horrors! Once you have made your decision, I will create the Lunar Wings for you and this barrier will crumble. Darkai will once again try to place his cold grasp over you! So make your decision carefully!"

Now with a difficult decision to make, all the trainers look to one another. How will the decisions be made? Who will stay? Who will go?

You all have seven days to make your decision on who will remain in the nightmare and who will awaken to reactivate Darkai's seals. If you make your decision before then, I will try to update before the seven days are up. Please talk this through in the Midnight Island Discussion Thread.

Thed, the other trainers, alongside Dr. Mensis and Prof. Luna all stood in front of a glowing orb of energy which floated up and formed into what Thed thought to be a planet. The pokemon had a crescent moon as a head and it looked like it's 'wings' were made from the rings of Saturn. It floated above the group with ease and it oddly stayed still despite its wierd shaped body. Thed immediately took out his pokedex and let the machine scan it. It told him Cresselia, the Lunar pokemon. Shiny particles are released from its wings like a veil. It is said to represent the crescent moon. The pokedex had attempted to gather air, water, etc. data, but it was having trouble since there was none to be found and Thed merely closed his pokedex since it was insistently telling him to find some.

Cresselia then began to explain the situation that was at hand with Darkrai and it's spreading of the Eternal Nightmare. It was pretty obvious to Thed that the place they were currently at was the Eternal Nightmare. But, Thed wasn't at all scared of it since everything was white as snow. Of course, there wasn't any sky, sea, or ground which made the place a bit bland for him. Cresselia then told the group that it had a way of getting everyone out and in a flash a sort of green and white feather floated in mid-whiteness.... It explained that the feather was called the Lunar Wing and it would be able to transport them back to the real world in order to stop Darkrai. Thed began to smile knowing that they would be able to return back to the world that they knew, but Cresselia then explained that only half of the group would be able to go since that was the total amount of feathers that Cresselia could produce.

Thed's heart sank a little bit, but Cresselia explained that both groups, whether in the Eternal Nightmare or the real world, would have it's share of troubles and both groups were vital to saving the group as well as the world. Thed looked at the trainers around him and everyone had a puzzled expression. He, too, was puzzled by the predicament and wondered to himself if they could really do this. Suddenly the pokeballs attached to his board shorts wriggled about and Thed lifted up his shirt to see what the commotion was all about. Through the top of the six special pokeballs he could see his pokemon wiggling about in their respective pokeballs. Glad to have his attention each then stared up at him with conviction. Thed got the message and could only smile and nod to his pokemon as he knew they trusted him in whatever decision he made. Tsunami then held out it's left forearm and pointed at it's wrist with his right hand. It was his 'running out of time' signal and Thed gave him a quick shaka in response.

Thed lifted his head up and spoke out, "I'll stay behind in Darkrai's Eternal Nightmare to distract Darkrai."

Thed hoped the others would find the courage in themselves as well and make their decisions too since time was of the essence as Darkrai's powers slowly grew and the window of oppurtunity for the group slowly closed.

Cyrus looked down at Celes after hearing Cresselia's final words. Celes looked up at her trainer and quietly wailed, "Chikaaa..." She was not crying, but the gloomy depression on her face was unmistakable. She was scared.

Cyrus scooped her up into his arms and hugged her tight. Following Thed's lead, Cyrus cleared his throat and said, "We'll stay behind, too."

He looked from Thed to Zach to the others. Cyrus realized that whoever was going to escape from Darkrai's nightmare using the Lunar Wing would have a tough journey ahead of them: not only would they need the power to defeat Darkrai, but they would also need the wear withal to not fall back asleep, to not come under Darkrai's influence once again. They would need the best scout Pokémon, and none of Cyrus's squad was particularly adept at scouting.

He also realized that it was not going to be easy staying behind with Cresselia, either. Darkrai had proven so dangerous that he had been able to trap this awe-inspiring Pokémon inside of a deep nightmare. Since the nightmare was his domain, there was no telling what horrors would await the six trainers and their Pokémon who were to stay behind.

Still, Cyrus concluded as he had done when he looked into Celes' face, the best place for him and his team would be here, in the nightmare realm. It was here that he could help to put up a good fight -- to distract Darkrai from the others' mission. Between the two difficult adventures, Cyrus felt that he would be better equipped for the distraction.

There was one question which nagged at the back of Cyrus's mind, however: how did he know that this wasn't all a part of Darkrai's illusion? If what Cresselia said was true, and Cyrus and the others were trapped inside a nightmare right now, how could he know for certain that Cresselia was really real? or that the Lunar Wing was really going to help the team out? What if the cracks were all just an illusion of Darkrai's meant to give its victims a false sense of control, of hope?

Cyrus stopped short -- he realized that these very thoughts were precisely the sort of horror Darkrai would probably want him to feel.

He started the train of thought back up again and concluded, "Whatever the situation, there's more here than meets the eye."

The battle versus the Starmie had begun. Amph and Plague were doing nicely against their opponent, but as soon as the fighting had stopped, the Starmie quickly Recovered itself, much to Garyâ€™s dismay. However, the battle was disrupted as a number of ghostly pokemon appeared and put everyone to sleep. When Gary and the others finally came-to, everything seemed safe, so the boat progressed towards the island.

And then things got strange. The island seemed to change right before their eyes, a sinister shape forming out of the mountainside as the island grew pitch black. An evil voice booms across the area, â€śI AM THE DARKNESS YOU HIDE FROM YOURSELVES! I AM THE FEAR WHICH CAUSES YOU TO TREMBLE! I AM THE TERROR THAT PARALYZES YOU! I AM THE ETERNAL DARKNESS YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE!!â€ť

Professor Luna then seems to argue with the evil being for a moment before it declares, â€śYOU AND YOUR COMPANIONS SHALL FEED MY HUNGER!!â€ť Gary bit his lip and then yelped in surprise as a gigantic arm picked up the boat, lifting it to the monsterâ€™s mouth. Convinced they were doomed, Gary quickly returned Amph to her ball and clung on to the railing for dear life.

However, a bright light appeared before them, which causes Gary to close his eyes due to the brightness. When he reopens them, everyone is standing in an empty plane of nothingness, and before them is the mighty legendary pokemon Cresselia. Still in disbelief of whatâ€™s going on, Gary quickly scanned it with his pokedex to confirm what it is. Cresselia explains the situation with Darkrai and everyone listens intently. Cresselia finishes by announcing that it can save half of the trainers, while the rest must remain in the nightmare world to hold off Darkrai, while those who escape must take it down.

The question was simple, but the answer was not: go to the real world or remain in the nightmare one? The trainers deliberated amongst themselves, and Gary was one of those who wound up deciding to go to the real world and helping as much as possible there. Taking a step forward, Gary nodded at Cresselia. He would go back into the real world to try and make a difference.

Snowy tightly gripped the shoulder of Tetsu's coat. Tetsu understood his anxiety after all of this happening at once. Reassuringly, he put a hand on Snowy's head, giving him a soft pat, which caused him to loosen his hands slightly. This was likely the most stress Tetsu and his Pokemon had been under in a long time, but Tetsu was confident in his courage to see him through.

Looking around at the other trainers, Tetsu took a minute to think before spoke. Whispering something to Snowy, he gave the snow sprite another pat before reaching for his belt. All at once, he pressed the release buttons on the five remaining Pokeballs. Before him, five Pokemon, a graceful Altaria, a pensive Torkoal, a shy Kecleon, a dark Raichu and a withdrawn Grumpig appeared before him in a slew of colored light, each wearing a unique expression of confusion upon their arrival.

Kneeling down to get on their level and taking Snowy off his shoulder, he began to speak to his team.

"All right, guys. I've told all of you for a long time that this day would come. All our training would pay off for one reason or another. While I had expected this pay to be winning some tournament or contest, this is much bigger than that. I need each of you to listen and listen well..."

From there, Tetsu began to explain the situation shortly for time was of the essence. Each took interest, though it took a while for some to pay attention.

"I think that we should stay here, in this nightmare realm, and distract Darkrai. I know that we're all strong, and they'll need as much help as they can get. If we're going to get out, I need all of your cooperation. Will you help me?" Tetsu extended a hand, palm down.

Before anyone else, Snowy put his stubby little hand upon Tetsu's, and gave a goofy smile. Slowly, the rest put some sort of appendage upon Tetsu's, whether it was a wing, hoof, claw or foot. The last one to decide was Luxord, who stood, paws crossed stubbornly.

"Luxord..." Tetsu started, looking the mouse in the eye. "I'll need you the most. You know the nature of this, and if we're going to win, I need you to help me."

Luxord scoffed shortly, turning away.

"Please, Luxord. If you don't get out of here, who knows what will happen to Will and Matt."

Suddenly, Luxord's expression softened somewhat, but quickly returned to the stotic indifference as he extended a paw.

"We're all in this together!" Tetsu shouted as each Pokemon responded with their own cry.

Standing, Tetsu withdrew his Pokeballs again, recalling his five other Pokemon and replacing his Snorunt on his shoulder before announcing his decision.